Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-06-10
SWindled.
we City Telephone.

On May 5th a slick-tongued indi-
vidual came prancing into town,
seeming anxious to sell contrivvnce
for constructing wire-paling fences,
for which he was agent. In spite of
his representations to the effect that
fence put up with the assistance of
his machine would increase the yield
Of everything green, he found no pur
chasers. He finally visited Mr.. Il.
NJ Craig, who resides just north of
town in Pine township, and tried to
induce linn to buy what all seemed
determined to deny themselves. Mr..
Craig refused absolutely to have any
thing to do with it. The stranger
then understood Mr. Craig was one
of the IN ost influential citizens of the
vicinity, and man whose judgment
was greatly respected-wcIld not
Mr. Craig kindly recommend his ma
chine? Mr.. Craig was not yet caught
Would not Mr.. Craig at least give
him his address, asked the stranger.
1t was his custom to get the names
of the best citizens of the community
be visited, would not Mr. Craig kind
ly write down his address SO that if
he wished, he might communicate
with person whom every one re-
spected, and whose name on postal
card was as good recommendation
as many other names on a certificate
of character! Mr.. Craig, probably
more to get rid of the importunate
knave than from any other motive,
wrote his name on what he supposed
was a postal card and the fellow de-
parted. Last week another person
made his appearance at MIR. Craig's
residence and said that the machine
he ordered had arrived, produced
written order with the name of r. NJ.
Craig attached and demanded the
price, 5000. Mr. Craig was astonish
ed. The fellow was bland but decid-
ed, and by threats of immediate pros
ecution he finally induced the victim
to give o note for the amount. Here
ends the story for tie present. Mr..
Craig will not paw the note unless he
finds he must and has consulted an
attorney. The machine is manufac-
tured by tn, Empire Machine Com
pany, of Putnam, Conn. The. sharp
ers left in the direction of Sandy
Lake to try their luck in that locality.
MoRAL:-Read the papers and un-
chain the shot gun.
Gambling in Coffee.--Why the
Crop Will Cost SI2O,OOO,OOO
More this Year than Ever Be-
fore.
Coffee is higher than it has ever
been before for any considerable time.
The coffee situation, therefore is in
teresting, not to say serious. Gam
bling in it is just now wilder than in
any stocks or in any other produce.
The price has advanced 100 per cent.
in year; and if the lowest and high
est prices are taken, $50 per cent. If
the present situation continues, the
coffee drinkers in the United States
will pay $50, 100000 more for it than
they paid in 1885, and $60,000,000
more than they pAid in 1882. The
rise in price is, therefore, equal to the
imposition of about 81 on every man,
woman and child (whether coffee
drinkers or not) in the country. And
if the movement upward continues,
coffee will pass out of the daily use of
the people and become a luxury.
The cause of this startling advance
in price is three-fold. The consump.
tion has increased much more rapidly
than the supply. In 1867 the con-
sumption per capita was All pounds;
in 1878, the first year after it was
put on the free list, it was 9.67; in
1884 it was 9.59, and it has since in
creased. The range of prices has
been for fair Rio, in 1860, Is cents;
in 1870 10 to III cents; in 1880, Ia
to 141 cents; May of last year, 81
cents. Now it is about 20 cents.
Another cause is the chance given
for gambling by the necessary lack of
trustworthy crop reports. There is
no concerted news gathering in in
land Brazil,
THE THIRD CAUSE.
Is the estimated shortuess of the crop
in Brazil, which has now just been
gathered and will begin to arrive
about July l. The Brazil crop is es-
timated at from 2,250,O0O to 4.50O,-
900 bags. The expectation year
ago was of a crop of from 5000, 600
to 5000, 900. A shortage of l ,000,-
900 bags from Brazil will keep prices
where they now are. The crop in
Java also is short In Ceylon the
leaf disease has reduced the produc-
tion at least one-half. Thus the sup
ply of the very best coffee is sure 10
be smaller for this year than it has
been for q generation.
Curing Glover.